I’ve been traveling and speaking a lot over the past six weeks about stress management. As I move through airports, workshops, community centers, companies and gathering places I’ve noticed a buzzy, low-grade anxiety and palpable stress in the air. No doubt you’ve been feeling it, too.

Before you claim all the credit (and think you’re just stewing in your own election-induced malaise), consider that you may be tapping into what the Swiss-born founder of analytical psychology Carl Jung calls “the collective unconscious.” We are all swimming in the same ocean and are more interconnected than we know. There is –understandably so—a collective anxiety right now and if you’re not careful, is very easy to let it hijack your state of being.

I’ve been traveling and speaking a lot over the past six weeks about stress management. As I move through airports, workshops, community centers, companies and gathering places I’ve noticed a buzzy, low-grade anxiety and palpable stress in the air. No doubt you’ve been feeling it, too.

Before you claim all the credit (and think you’re just stewing in your own election-induced malaise), consider that you may be tapping into what the Swiss-born founder of analytical psychology Carl Jung calls “the collective unconscious.” We are all swimming in the same ocean and are more interconnected than we know. There is –understandably so—a collective anxiety right now and if you’re not careful, is very easy to let it hijack your state of being.

From my vault of favorite self-care practices, here are 6 ways to help you stay in your own boat:

• Be aware and alert–if you’re feeling off, know that it may not be you. Just acknowledging that you’re being affected by others can often help you shift and gain perspective.

• Be mindful of your media diet: who are you letting into your consciousness each morning, during drive time and throughout your work day? Negative news from radio, TV, newspapers and digital devices can deeply affect our nervous systems and leave us in a constant “fight or flight” state. Choose what and when you take in information, with care.

• Slow down and breathe: the pace of the outside world is always faster than our internal pace. You’re a human being—not a robot. Don’t let others dictate the speed at which you move.

• Start your day intentionally –perhaps consider meditation (tips here): our external world is a reflection of our internal world. It’s important to take time to weed and water the garden.

• Get out in nature: new research shows the powerful effect immersing ourselves in the outdoors can have on our nervous system. Walk barefoot, grab a blanket and lie on the ground on your belly, sit by a creek, take a hike–all great ways to quickly re-calibrate.

• Move your body: “The issues are in the tissues.” Walk, dance, do yoga or qi gong, swim, run – moving helps us to reconnect with our bodies, get out of our heads and shake off the funk.

There are a lot of frenzied folks out there speeding down the autobahn of life—let them pass and move over into the slow lane. And, be compassionate with yourself. It’s a hard time to be a human. For all of us.

Check out Renee's upcoming national events. To read more of Renee’s award-winning blog posts, go to www.reneetrudeau.com/blog.